Another beauty pageant controversy.
Not long after Jenna Talackova was booted from the Miss Universe Canada contest due to her transgender status, Torika Watters has lost her title of Miss Fiji.
The 16-year old was set to represent her tiny nation in the upcoming Miss World pageant, except for the detail that representatives must be at least 17 years old. But that's not the only scandal following around this young beauty.
Immediately upon winning the crown last month, Watters faced mounting criticism over her appearance, specifically that she lacked "buiniga," the local word to describe the naturally-frizzy Fijian hairstyle.
A pageant spokeswoman told ABC News in Australia that organizers have received "nothing but negative criticism and remarks from our own people" about the selection of Torika.
"While we appreciate a healthy discussion and feedback on our page, violent or racist comments will not be tolerated," the Miss Fiji spokeswoman said.
Watters, for her part, says she's "proud of my identity as a Fijian" and added, via Facebook:
"I had no intentions of doing anything sneaky or wrong and like the other contestants entered the competition for what I believed to be the right reasons - to be an Ambassador for Fiji and raise money for charitable causes."
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